1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of horizontal storage carousels and specifically to a display for communicating information about a carousel and items stored therein to an operator.
2. Description of Related Art
Storage conveyors of the horizontal carousel type enjoy widespread use for storing and delivering items for manufacturing and shipping. A typical carousel has an endless series of vertical carriers that run on a horizontal oval path. Shelves are mounted on the carriers and one or more storage trays or bins rest on each shelf. The shelves can be vertically adjustable to provide for different sized bins. Usually the carousel is motor driven and often the motor is electronically controlled by a microprocessor or microcomputer.
Items to be stored are placed in the bins at one or more loading stations adjacent the carousel. At some later time, items in the bins are retrieved at one or more picking stations which may be the same as the loading stations. In some cases, two or more adjacent carousels have the same loading or picking station so that items can be picked from either carousel or transferred from one carousel to another. It is necessary for an operator performing a loading operation to know which bins are before him and which items are to be stored in those bins. Similar information is required for picking.
One means of displaying information to an operator includes a plurality of digital, electronic displays of the seven segment or "figure-eight" type. Sets of several displays are grouped at a certain vertical spacing to show numerical codes or certain alphabetic characters. These displays are custom made for a particular shelf arrangement so that each set of displays is at an appropriate height so as to be adjacent the shelves for which that group displays information.
These displays perform adequately when the characters to be displayed can be shown by a seven segment display and when the shelves are permanently installed at uniform levels around the entire carousel. However, there are many characters which cannot be generated by such displays and the location, size and number of characters is limited to the location, size and number of figure-eights placed side by side. Moreover, when the shelves are adjustable or are at staggered heights around the carousel, such a display may not be aligned with the shelf for which it is providing information, possibly leading to confusion, delay or mistake during loading or picking.
Thus, a means of displaying information is desired which is capable of automatically displaying a broader range of characters and is easily adaptable to a carousel with shelves at differing heights.